What true inclusion looks like: Beyond tokenism in DE&I

10/29/2025
By George Fernandez
I have spent my life working at the intersection of business, culture, and community. I’ve seen the best of what diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) efforts can achieve, and the worst of what happens when they become nothing more than box-checking exercises.
I grew up locally here in Harrisburg, in neighborhoods where inclusion wasn’t a corporate initiative; it was a survival skill. I attended diverse schools, volunteered with nonprofits that reached struggling families, and learned early that when people feel unseen, they stop showing up. That’s what makes today’s climate so troubling. As a country and community, we’ve made strides, but somewhere along the way, DE&I became more about optics than outcomes.
When DE&I was backed by true commitment, it opened doors. It brought funding that allowed community-based organizations like mine to hire bilingual staff, serve immigrant families, and expand outreach in areas where resources were scarce. It allowed local leaders to design programs tailored to their neighbors, not dictated by people who had never set foot in those communities.
But in recent years, the tide has turned. We’ve lost funding and partnerships because organizations in government, corporate, and nonprofit sectors are now afraid to use DE&I language at all. Some see it as politically risky. Others have redefined “diversity” so narrowly that whole communities fall outside the lines. This retreat has real consequences. Small minority-owned businesses are losing contracts. Community organizations are cutting staff. People are questioning whether inclusion was ever more than a PR campaign.
Across the country, universities have shuttered their DE&I offices. States have banned diversity training. Major corporations that once boasted about their equity initiatives are quietly scaling them back. According to Pew Research, support for DE&I among American workers has declined in the last year, while one in five companies has reduced DE&I funding. The message to communities like mine is clear: inclusion is optional again.
When DE&I becomes performative, it creates division instead of unity. I’ve sat in rooms where funders opened with grand speeches about “equity,” but then decided who was “diverse enough” to qualify for their grants. I’ve seen organizations invite diverse speakers to panels but exclude them from actual decision-making. It’s not inclusion if you’re only welcome for the photo op.
True inclusion is structural, not symbolic. It happens when a company’s leadership, staff, and board reflect the communities they serve. It happens when funding criteria are developed with community input, not handed down from the top. It happens when we stop ranking groups against each other and start recognizing how intersecting identities such as race, gender, orientation, and ability shape real experiences.
If we want to move beyond tokenism, we need transparency and power-sharing. Funders and policymakers must open up their criteria and invite local leaders to co-design programs. Corporations must go beyond “diversity days” and commit to hiring, mentoring, and promoting people from all backgrounds. And communities must build alliances across lines of difference, understanding that no one group’s progress comes at the expense of another’s.
The media, too, plays a vital role. Tell stories that show inclusion in action, not just in press releases. Highlight the small businesses, nonprofits, and innovators doing the hard work on the ground. Elevate intersectional voices, especially those who carry multiple identities that are too often overlooked.
DE&I was never meant to be a buzzword. It was meant to be a blueprint for justice. The question is whether we still have the courage to follow it. Inclusion cannot be selective or temporary. It must be woven into the structure of how we hire, fund, educate, and lead.
What’s at stake isn’t just fairness. It’s the strength of our communities, our workforce, and our democracy. If we stop now, we risk losing the very progress we fought so hard to achieve. But if we’re willing to move beyond tokenism and share real power, we can build something far better: a culture where everyone belongs, contributes, and thrives.
George Fernandez is the Founder & CEO of Color & Culture, a national multicultural marketing agency based in Pennsylvania that builds bridges between organizations and the diverse communities they serve. Through his work, Fernandez has become a leading voice in health equity, inclusive communications, and authentic community engagement across the United States.